Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-12-24

" me tUdter OF the tUeI OF BefhteIeIn, tUhtch
is bDt the gate"-2 Samuel, xiii, Is.
War, always distressing, is especially ruin.
Gus in harvest time When the crops are all
ready for the sickle, to have them trodden
down by cavalry horses and heavy supply
trains Outlying the fields is enough to make
any mans heart sick. When the last great
war broke out in Europe, and France and
Germany were coming into horrid collision.
rode across their golden harvests, and saw the
tents pitched, and the trenches dug in the
very MIDST of the ripe fields, the long
scythe OF battle sharpening to NOV
down harvests of men in great
winrows of the dead. 1t was at this season
Of harvest that the army of the Philistincs
came down upon bethlehem. Hark to the
c!amor Of their voices, the neighing of their
chargers, the blare of their trumpets and the
clash of their shieldsl
Let David and his men fall backi The
Lords host sometimes loses the day.
But David knew where to lille He
had been brought Up in that country.
Boys areinqu;stise, and they know all about
theregion where they were born and brought
up. .Ifyou should go back to the old home
stead, you could, with your eyes shut, find
your way to the meadow, or the orchard, or
the hill back of the house, with which you
were familiar thirty or forty years ago. So
David knew the cave Of Adullam Perhaps,
in his boyhood days, he had played "hide-
nnd-seek. with his comrades all about
the old cave; and though others
might not have known it, David did
Travellers say there is only one way of get
ting into that cave, and that is by a very
narrow path; but David was stout, and
steady-headed, and steady nerved and so,
with his three brave staff-o1icers. he goes
along that path, finds his way into the cave,
ats down, looks around the roof and the
dark passages of the mountain, feels very
weary with the forced march; and water no
must have, or die. do not know but there
may have been drops trickling down the side
OF the cavern, or that there may
have been some water in the
goat-skin slung to his girdle; out
that was not what he wanted. He wanted
deep, full, cold drink such as a man gets
only out of an old well with moss-covered
bucket David remembered that very near
that cave of Adulam there was such well
as that, q well to which he used to go in
boyhood-the well of Bethlehem; and be al
most imagines that he can hear the liquid
plash of that well, and his parched tongue
moves through his hot lips as he says: ooh.
that one would give me drink of the water of
the well of Bethlehem. which is by the gate"
1t was no sooner said than done The three
brave staff-officers bounded to their feet and
start. Brave soldiers will take even a hint
from their commander. But between them
and the well lay host of the Philistines: and
what could three men do with great armyi
Yet where there is a will there is a way, and
with their swords sashing this way and that,
they make their path TO the well. While the
fhilistines are amazed at the seeming fool
hardness Of these three men. and cannot
make up their minds exactly what it means,
the three men have come to the we'll
They drop the bucket They bring
up the water. They pour it in the
pail, and then start for the cave. s'Stop
themw cry the Philistines. Clip them with
your swords Stab them With your spears!
Stop those three menu Too latel They are
gone around the hill The hot rocks are
splashed with the overlooking water from
the vessel at it is carried up the cliffs The
three men go along the dangerous path and
with checks flushed with the excitement, and
all out of breath in their haste they fling their
swords, red with the skirmsh. to the side of
the cave, and cry out to David: "There,
Captain of the host, is what you wanted: a
drink Of the well Of Bethlehem, which is by
the gaten
A text is Of no use to me unless can find
Christ in it; and unless can bring a Gospel
ont of these words, that will arouse and com
fort and bless. | shall wish had never seen
them; for pour time would be wasted. and
against my soul the dark record would he
made that this day | stood before great au-
dience Of shining. suffering, and dying men.
and told them of no rescue. By the cross Of
the Son of God, by the throne of the eternal
Judgment, that shall not bel May the Lord
Jesus help me to tell you the truth to-dayi
You know that carrier pigeons have some
times letters tied under the wing and they
fly hundreds of milestone hundred miles in
an hour-carrying a message So | have
thought | would like to have it now. oh,
heavenly Doye bring under thy wing
to-day, to my soul and TO the souls of this
people, some message of light, and love, and
peace
It is not an unusual thing to see people
gather around a well in summertime The
hnsbandman puts down his cradle at the well
curb. The builder puts down his trowel The
traveller puts down his pack Then one dra WIS
the water for all the rest, himself taking the
very last. The cup is passed around and
the fires OF thirst are put out the traveller
starts on his journey and the workman takes
up his burden.
Ny friends, we come to-day around the
Gospel well. We put down our pack of bur
dens and our implements of toll One man
must draw the water for those who have
gathered around the well. | will try and
draw the water day; and il, after | have
poured out from this living fountain for your
soul. Just taste of it myself. you will not be-
grudge me drink from the water of the
well OF Bethlehem, which is by the gaten
inns Gospel well, like the well spoken of in
me text, is a well Of Bethlehem David had
known hundreds of wells of water. but he
wanted to drink from that narticnlar one
IKE that. And unless your soul and mine can
get access to the Fountain open for sin and
uncleanness we must die That fountain is
the well OF Bethlehem Il was dug in the
night II was dug by the light of a lantern
the star that hung down over the
manager. 1t was dug not at the gate of
Cgsar,s palaces, not in the park Of a Jeru-
salem bargain maker 1t was dug in barn.
he camels lifted their weary heads to listen
MS the work went on. The shepherds. unable
70 sleep. because the heavens were filed with
hanhs OF music, came down to see the OPEN
lngof the well. The angels Of God. at the first
gush OF the living water, dipped their cha,ices
~ 10Y into 1t, and drank 10 the health of
slrih and heaven, as they cried: GLORY to
Iod In the highest. and on earth peoce y
sometimes IN our modern barns the water is
brought through the pipes Of the city to the
very nostrils OF the horses or cattle: but this
well In the Bethlehem barn was not 50 much
Ior the ieasts that perish as for our race.
tnlrst-smittten, deserttraveled and SIMEON.
struck. Oh. my soul, weary with sin. stooD
WE'LL '''-' ~ ''''enein
"As the heart panteth after the water.
frooks, 80 my soul panteth after thee. o
5od You would get better understand
ing OF this amidst the Adrondacks in sum
mer-time Here comes a swift-footed der.
Il